5 Easy Ways to Support New Moms

I think we can all agree on one thing: being a new mom is HARD.

It’s tough. It’s exhausting. It’s stressful. It’s a journey. A beautiful journey, but a strenuous one.

I think we can all agree on something else: a support system is necessary. I’m a huge advocate of supporting moms, especially brand-new moms. 

I’m no longer a brand new mom, but I’m also not a seasoned veteran. My daughter is 19 months old, so I’d still consider myself fairly new.

The first few months of motherhood were some of the toughest months of my life. Trying to function on zero to little sleep while keeping this little human alive without knowing what exactly she needed when she screamed at me was exhausting.

It was especially difficult for me because at the time, my husband and I were living in Houston with all of our immediate family hours away. I’m beyond thankful I had such a supportive husband and I had a couple great friends who helped.

I still remember one night, two of my girlfriends came by because my husband was out of town for work. They brought over food, took one look at me and said “go take a shower, we got her.” I immediately started ugly crying. Their visit meant the world to me and I still appreciate them to this day! To get those 15 minutes to myself to do something as basic as take a shower was so needed.

We’re now living in Des Moines near family and I’m so blessed to have a support system that is willing to help in any way that they can.

Those first few months though…yikes.

I’m now intentional on trying to extend my help to new moms. I know what I appreciated and what really made a difference. If you can do even one of these things for someone, you’ll make a new mama’s world!

Here are 5 easy ways to support new moms:

Check in

A simple text message goes a long way. You don’t even need to call. A new mom more than likely won’t have time to answer the phone anyway. “Hey, just checking in to see how you and the baby are doing.” Simple as that. Those texts or calls meant the world to me. Knowing someone is thinking of you helps. You’re not in this crazy journey alone.

Offer a quick break

If you go and visit a new mama, ask if there’s anything she needs to do. A.K.A. shower or brush her teeth. More than likely, she’s not had time to do that yet and more than likely she will decline, but on the off chance she just needs that 10 minute breather, you will have made her entire day.

Bring food

Unless they planned frozen meals ahead of time (genius idea by the way, but I never did it) they’ll need food. The last thing on their mind is cooking. Offer to bring over Subway or pizza or literally anything. Anything.

Bring coffee

If I visit a new mama, the first question I’m asking is, “I’m stopping by Starbucks, do you want anything?” Not everyone is a coffee person, but if they are, a Mocha Frappuccino may be calling their name.

Listen

When you’re at home all day long with a little person who can’t talk to you, it’s easy to go a little stir crazy. Having adult interaction and someone to just listen to you makes a huge difference. Be there to just listen.

Pat yourself on the backs mamas. Whether you’re a new mom or not, you’ve got one of, if not the, hardest job out there and you deserve all the recognition and support! 

Throw in some suggestions or ideas for supporting new moms. I’d love to learn from other mamas on what they think is supportive and helpful after becoming a new mom.